Schalmont, Schuylerville seek to sustain excellence

Defending champions of their respective divisions hoping to be strong again

By James Allen

Updated 2:44 pm, Thursday, September 3, 2015

Photo: Hans Pennink

Image 1of/1

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 1

Schalmont's Zac O' Dell (11) catches a pass and runs for a touchdown against Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake during the first half of their Section II football game on Friday, Sept. 26, 2014, in Rotterdam, N.Y., (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) ORG XMIT: HP108 less

Schalmont's Zac O' Dell (11) catches a pass and runs for a touchdown against Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake during the first half of their Section II football game on Friday, Sept. 26, 2014, in Rotterdam, N.Y., ... more

Photo: Hans Pennink

Schalmont, Schuylerville seek to sustain excellence

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

Schalmont seeks an eighth consecutive division title (second straight in the Reinfurt Division), but must do so without the services of such 2014 stalwarts as Nick Gallo (2014 Times Union small-school Offensive Player of the Year), Hunter Gac, Devon Higgins and Matt Capovani. Eight players from that roster earned Times Union small-school first-team recognition, helping the Sabres advance to a second straight state Class B final.

Schuylerville, the 2014 West Division champs, advanced to the Super Bowl and looks to advance to the state playoffs for the first time since winning the second of back-to-back Class C titles in 2005.

Predicted order of finish

West Division

Schuylerville (7-0, 5-0): Motivation should not be an issue for the Black Horses. The majority of the roster has three years of varsity experience and possess a hunger to surpass a 9-1 season in 2014.

Glens Falls (6-1, 4-1): Scoring points should not be an issue for this team. The Indians have a multitude of weapons. Health needs to be maintained if a top two finish is to be achieved.

Hudson Falls (4-3, 3-2): Geno Brancati is gone, but the Tigers still have plenty of players capable of making a concerted playoff push this fall. The 2014 squad was involved in some wild games.

Broadalbin-Perth (2-5, 2-3): Finished second in the West Division last fall, but graduation hit the Patriots hard. Just six starters return, and Connor Pingitore (2014 starter at wingback and defensive back) is out until midseason. If the younger players grow up, this team could be better than predicted.

Johnstown (2-5, 1-4): The Sir Bills have a new coach in Ryan Baldock and look to improve upon a 4-5 overall campaign in 2014. Seven starters return and there is plenty of optimism surrounding this team.

Cobleskill (2-5, 0-5): Eleven starters, including eight on defense, return from a 2014 team that finished 1-8 overall and 0-5 in the West Division. The Bulldogs should be improved this season, but it may not be enough to move up in a difficult division.

Reinfurt Division

Schalmont (7-0, 6-0): Head coach Joe Whipple has compiled a glossy 63-9 record since taking over in 2009 — including five Section II titles and six straight Super Bowl appearances. Unlike recent seasons, however, the Sabres enter the 2015 season with only five returning starters and four seniors on the roster. Whipple does get an infusion from several players that helped the 2014 JV team finish 7-2.

Ravena (6-1, 5-1): What started as such a promising 2014 season dissipated following a Week 5 loss to Schalmont. The Indians have 11 of 22 starters back, plus players up from an undefeated JV team.

Cohoes (3-4, 3-3): Standouts Shelton Alston and Brandon LaForest, along with coach James Ducharme, have departed. New coach Jose Havens may not have inherited a dynamic offensive star, but he does have a squad looking to maintain the program's recent run of success.

Lansingburgh (3-4, 3-3): The Knights struggled in Class A in 2014, finishing 1-8 overall. Head coach Jeff Pasinella has young talent he is excited about. The key to obtaining a playoff berth is a strong season start.

Hudson (2-5, 2-4): The Bluehawks only have six seniors and have switched to a Flexbone offense in hopes of better utilizing team speed. A key will be performing better on defense.

Albany Academy (2-5, 2-4): What a welcome to the head coaching ranks for Bo Buran, as the Cadets begin their Reinfurt Division slate against Ravena and Schalmont. The Cadets not only endured serious graduation losses, two other top returners (quarterback Will Bennett and wide receiver Sal Arena) are also gone. Buran has only five returning starters. Reaching the playoffs would be a solid accomplishment.

Ichabod Crane (0-7, 0-6): The Riders went 1-8 overall and 0-5 in the division last fall. The program has gone 7-45 overall since moving to the varsity level in 2009 (making the playoffs in 2012).

Players to watch

Offense

Cameron Brooks (Jr., RB, Schalmont): Put up some impressive numbers (682 yards) in limited carries as a sophomore. That workload surely will increase this fall.

Vincent DiCaterino (Sr., QB, Broadalbin-Perth): The standout linebacker played tight end for the Patriots in 2014. He is taking over under center following the graduation of Zach Morreale.

Jack Fitzgerald (Sr. TE, Johnstown): A first-team West Division all-star in 2014, Fitzgerald will be counted on heavily on offense and defense (strong safety) in the Sir Bills' push toward a playoff berth.

Will Griffen (Sr., QB, Schuylerville): After rushing for 1,000 yards as a sophomore, Griffen amassed 1,065 yards in helping lead the Black Horses to the West Division title and a Super Bowl appearance in 2014.

Aaron Sampson (So., RB, Glens Falls): Forced into action by an injury to Reed Minor, Sampson turned in some stellar performances, including 186 yards and three touchdowns against Hudson Falls and 294 yards vs. Gloversville.

Defense

Skylar Bateman (Sr., LB, Schuylerville): Experience a major strength for the Black Horses, and Bateman has already logged tons of meaningful minutes during his career.

Steve Kross (SR., LB, Ravena): A two-way starter at running back and linebacker in 2014, Kross will do the same this season.

Reed Miner (Sr., LB, Glens Falls): A major force for the Indians who is a leader at running back and linebacker. A healthy Miner this fall makes Glens Falls much more dangerous.

Zach Pierce (Sr., DB, Schuylerville): A dangerous player on both sides of the ball, Pierce is a vital component in the Black Horses' secondary.

Games to watch

Schuylerville at Broadalbin-Perth, Sept. 11: Certainly a vital early season West Division showdown for both squads that is being broadcast by Time Warner Cable Sportschannel.

Lansingburgh at Cohoes, Sept. 11: Lansingburgh, which has bounced between Class A and B since winning its last Section II title in 2007 (Class A), returns to Reinfurt Division action. This one is vital for both team's playoff aspirations.

Broadalbin-Perth at Hudson Falls, Oct. 3: The Patriots have fared better than the Tigers the past few seasons. Hudson Falls gets its chance at home this time.

Glens Falls at Schuylerville, Oct. 9: Will the Black Horses be locking up another West Division title? Glens Falls certainly wants to be more competitive than its 2014 encounter vs. Schuylerville (a 47-20 loss in Week 6).

Schalmont at Ravena, Oct. 16: The Sabres routed Ravena 59-0 in Week 5 last year as Schalmont shifted into the Reinfurt Division nicely following five consecutive West Division crowns. The Indians were not the same after that loss, so they sure won't be lacking motivation for this one.